"As World+Dog gets its head around Windows Vista, lets look back at an operating system that might have been a contender, very nearly becoming Apple's next-generation OS and, but for Linux, almost certainly the key alternative to Windows on x86. Ladies and gentlemen, who remembers BeOS?"

"Windows Vista has finally arrived! Many people have been asking us what are Stardock's plans? What can we do to take an excellent new OS like Windows Vista and make it better? There have been a lot of articles on how users of Windows XP can get a lot of the visual benefits of Windows Vista using Stardock Object Desktop. And while that may be true, Windows Vista provides us a whole new canvas of cool things we can do."

DragonFly 1.8.0 has been released. The biggest kernel change in this release is the addition of virtual kernel support and a virtual kernel build target. The biggest user-visible changes include updates to third party applications included in the base system, a major rewrite of NULLFS which removes all directory recursion restrictions from mount_null and removes nearly all the kernel resource overhead when using such mounts, and a multi-ip feature for jails.

Microsoft released several updates to Windows Vista Monday, the day before the new operating system debuted for consumers and landed on retail shelves. None of the updates were security fixes. The five updates for the 32-bit version of Vista - one was immediately replaced Tuesday with an update to the update - fix difficulties installing the OS on PCs with more than 3GB of memory, troubles connecting with a VPN server, and performance problems with Internet Explorer 7 and its anti-phishing feature. The largest of the five updates, however, is one that addresses incompatibility issues for a host of applications and games.

"While defensive programming effectively guarantees the condition of a method's input, it becomes repetitive if it is pervasive across a series of methods. Andrew Glover shows you an easier way to add reusable validation constraints to your code using the power of AOP, design by contract, and a handy library called OVal."

While the BBC features reviews of Vista by ordinary folk, someone dove into Vista's EULA only to find that when you upgrade from a previous version of Windows, the license of that product becomes invalid. What this means, basically, is that after you've upgraded your XP install to Vista, you cannot use the license of your old XP install on another computer. Tom's Hardware, in the meantime, published an in-depth benchmark comparing Windows XP to Vista, concluding that "Vista is the better Windows, because it behaves better, because it looks better and because it feels better. But it cannot perform better than Windows XP." APCMag, lastly, wonders what can be learnt from the Vista launch.

"Yes, that's right, the Linux kernel community is offering all companies free Linux driver development. No longer do you have to suffer through all of the different examples in the Linux Device Driver Kit, or pick through the thousands of example drivers in the Linux kernel source tree trying to determine which one is the closest to what you need to do. All that is needed is some kind of specification that describes how your device works, or the email address of an engineer that is willing to answer questions every once in a while. A few sample devices might be good to have so that debugging doesn't have to be done by email, but if necessary, that can be done."

"This short article describes how to install a component for the Mozilla Firefox 2.0 web browser in Microsoft's Windows XP Embedded operating system. Typical devices that might use such a component include specialized tablets, thin client terminals, and TV set-top boxes."

Today, 00:00 CET, Vista will be on sale here in The Netherlands; some computer shops will even be open tonight to cater to the early adopters. In all honesty, I do not think we will see Windows 95-like craziness, but still, I think a simple poll is in order. What is the feature in Windows Vista you have been looking forward to the most? Read more to pass your vote.

To avoid having 8573 stories related to Vista atop one another, this item groups some of them. Fortune: "After five years in development, Microsoft's new operating system is finally about to hit the street. Is it a keeper? Fortune's Peter Lewis takes it for a test drive." eWeek: "Some have taken exception with Vista's permission-asking proclivity, but it may be that we've just become too cavalier about making fundamental changes to our systems." eWeek: "We check out the first systems bundling Microsoft's newest OS and tell you what you will, and will not, be getting with Vista." Click read more for, well, more items. This item will probably be updated regularly.

"It seems Microsoft is putting IE8 development into gear. Participants of the Windows Server 'Longhorn' beta program on Microsoft Connect have just received an email notifying them that a new survey for Internet Explorer 8 has been published on the program site. The survey contains a few questions on the current usability of IE7 and asks the users what new features they would like to see in IE8. The survey also asks users to rank the importance of several planned features. The email mentions that the survey should be completed before Thursday, March 1st, 2007; giving us a vague peak at the timeline for IE8."

Hi-Mobile.net was very generous to send us over the second most high-end Nokia S40-based phone (after the 7390) for a review, the 6288. This model is an updated version over its similarly-looking 6280, and it's considered a high-end feature phone. Read more for our findings and plenty of screenshots.

A Microsoft representative confirmed that users may buy an OEM copy of Windows Vista at a substantial discount, provided they adhere to the terms of the license - which, incidentally, may mean providing support for family members. In addition, users should still be subject to the same familiar re-activation restrictions as users of a retail Vista license and Windows XP, a spokeswoman said. Users can alter the PC's hardware substantially, but they will be forced to reactivate - not repurchase the OEM software - if they do, she said. Elsewhere, AppScout wonders, is Vista relevant?

"CodeWeavers this month announced version 6.0 of its flagship Windows compatibility product. Now called CrossOver Linux, the new version is the first with official support for games. With its growing application support and foray into gaming, CrossOver Linux 6 is an excellent alternative for Linux users who are stuck with a Windows application at work or at school."